Tears And Tequila: Mexico City Says Goodbye To Chavela Vargas

Fans wait to see the coffin of late Costa Rican-born Mexican singer Chavela Vargas during a ceremony in her honour at Garibaldi Square in Mexico City on Monday.

Alfredo Estrella
/ AFP/Getty Images

We would be remiss not to note that the legendary ranchera singer Chavela Vargas was sent off last night in Mexico City.

Her coffin was on display in Plaza Garibaldi, where Vargas was known to knock back a few drinks. NPR's Jasmine Garsd wrote about the 93-year-old Vargas on Sunday after her death. She was a woman who torched through barriers, many times singing about heartache with a pistol in her harness and a bottle of tequila in her hand.

She was born in Costa Rica but she was Mexican by heart. As a singer, she gave suffering a voice.

To that end, as CNN Mexico reports, last night, her fans celebrated her life with an endless flow tears and tequila. CNN adds:

"Not even the rain forced people to stop singing as the approached the coffin covered in a The Shaman's typical red poncho.

"'I never thought Chavela would die and when she died I was deeply saddened. But, today, I proved that Chavela will never die and I am comforted,' said María Cortina, a friend and biographer."

We'll leave you with a video from BBC Mundo. It's in Spanish, but the emotions don't need translation. We will tell you that some of those interviewed said they loved her because she lived free and they loved her because she made "suffering beautiful."

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